The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-05
THE EDITORS OF HARPER's MAGAZINE.
The Men Who Have Guided That Publication
and Their Peculiarities.

and Their Peculiarities.
New York Correspondence Chicago News.
Henry ]. Raymond was the first editor Of Har-
pers New Monthly. so-called, perhaps, because
10 il the oldest magazine of any note in the city
Or country. 1t founded in 1S49 and con-
tanned for some years little else than reprint of
It cost nothing. and. being carefully selected,
was interesting and acceptable. 1t
tanned scarcely anything original. and
of the first number, / am told only 1000
copies were issued. the circulation soon increas
kng to 5000 Now more than 200, 600 are sold,
some 80. 900 being disposed of in Great Britain.
Raymond was, at the time of assuming the
authorship. only twenty nine. He had just been
elected TO the State Assembly, being afterward
chosen Speaker. He had been for years
connected With the Courier and ENQUIRER. which
ne Quilted, and established the Times while
editing Harpers, which Wss light task in those
lays, especially for man so industrious. rapid
and executive as was the famous jour
palist. Soon after the organization of
tho Republican party, in which he very
Rctive and prominent, his labors grew TO be so
enerossng that he gave up the magazine, from
which he received, l have heard, $500 annually
Tor his services. Raymond is said to have been
most agreeable and genial editor, as, IL truth,
70 was to the close of his career. No man con-
Ssesr Ti.d the mssroposa1 has beeI
Assumption or irritability; uniformly polite
Ind considerate of everybody-excellentq qualities
Which are not initiated now to any extent.
His successor on Harpers was Charles Nord-
hoff, now on the staff of the Herald. He had
Tot then been long in New York but had held
newspaper positions in Philadelphia and Indian
hpolis, after years of nautical service in the
navy, In the merchant marine, and on whaling
craft. He remained in charge of the monthly
four years at $20 and $50 a week. believe and
was considered very capable, retiring to 90 upon
the Evening Post On Harpers he was yerv en-
Rrgetic and diligent, rather inclined to be
brusque and particularly impatient with looua-
rious persons who failed to come to the ponr
Then the eccentric Alfred H. Gueru-
Rey, dubbed the Doctor, who held the place
eight or nine years, fret at a salary Of So 0OO
then at So 0O0 and made condensations of MANY
books and printed them articles. He wrote
unanimously about South America Polynesia.
Egypt, Palestine, India, China. Japan, Siberia
though he seldom went mile from Franklin
square. He odd that strangers were puz-
lied by him; but those knowing him got on with
laxative. especially in the afternoon, and
was perpetually smoking cigars so closely that
they would nearly burn his mustache. Nobody
has ever seen him with a whole cigar in his
mouth. Toward the latter part of his term he
seemed to have strange lapses of memory. He
would accept an article on Tuesday morning and
send It back the next week: would write TO some
one to call on him and when he would appear
would ask him the nature of his business;
would address well known author as Mr..
Bagstock or Mr.. Bunsby, and inquire partcu-
lArly after Mr.. Soand-So. giving the name of
the author himself Whether this oblivion,
eonfonndIng or ideas or the indulgence OF pre-
meditated oddity has never been ascertained 1t
was prodiEiously funny TO the initiated, but the
members OF the firm did not enjoy the
Joke long extended, and
6nally induced to part with Guernsey with
Iut any positive heart-breaks. think the